Christmas tree ornament



Dec. 26, 1950 L E. s. MARGOLIS ET AL 2,535,219

CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENT Filed Nov. 2, 194a IN V EN TOR.

Patented Dec. 26, 1950 CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENT Ely S. Margolis, New York, and Hilbert A. Wachtel, White Plains, N. Y.

. Application November 2, 1948, Serial No. 57,924

- 3 Claims (01. 41

The present invention is directed to'ornaments,

more particularly to a type of ornament which is adapted to be introduced at the top ota Christ mas tree.

Ornaments for such a general purpose have long been known and used. One such ornament consisted of a series of wires with beads, tubes and hollow bulbs threaded thereon the wires being linked together and fastenedto give an ornamental structure of considerable complexity. Such an ornament was quite expensive to produce and the decorative effect was not all that is desired since it was impossible to provide any lighting for the ornament; In another ornamentationof the same type, there was provided a coil of wire which was intended to be placed over the tip of the tree and the opposite endof said wire was enclosed within the ornament structure by a relatively complicated arrangement. Provision was made for a lamp within the ornament and it included a socket which was made part thereof and was permanently secured thereto. This device was also cumbersome and not entirely satisfactory in that it could not be securely fastened to the tip of the tree.

The present invention is intendedand adapted to overcome the difiiculties and disadvantages inherent in devices of the type described, it being among the objects of the present invention to provide an ornament adapted for use on Christmas trees which is simple and compact and which is highly ornamental. 1.: a

It is also among the objects of the present invention to provide a unitary. structure of ornament, base, lamp holder and mounting means,

made from plastic materials, in asingle operation and being transparentortranslucent. Q

It is still further among the objects of the prescut invention to provide .a; simple'ftypeof mold which is adaptedto form the ornament in a single operation without thenecessityof removable cores or the like. s

In practicing the present invention, there is provided a two-part mold, one of the parts being hollowed to accommodate the molded ornament itself and the other being correspondingly convex in order to form the hollow back of ,the ornament. The two parts of the mold are provided with extensions of such form that they cooperate to provide a hollow depending member or tube, preferably tapered and extending down from the bottom of the ornament. Th'e'tube is in sections with alternate openings on'opposite sides thereof. The mold is also provided with an element which makes provision for, a laterally extending holder at the back of the ornament just 2 above the tube. The lamp holder has a keyshaped slot, whereby a lamp in its socket and having connecting wires maybe slipped into the narrow portion of the slot and seated in the circular portion to firmly hold the lamp in place and centrally located with respect to the ornament.

In the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof, and in which like reference characters indicate like parts,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a Christmas tree ornament made in accordance with the present invention, the ornament here being shown as a star; 7

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view looking up from below and showing particularly the structure and relative arrangement of the tube and the lamp holder; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawing, the ornament consists essentially of a star I of relatively large size, having in the center thereof a second star of smaller size and extending forwardly beyond star I. Each of the stars may be provided with ribs or irregularities or facets and the material of construction may be transparent or translucent. Thereby when a lamp is placed behind the ornament. various refraction and reflection eifects are obtainable- The back 3 of the ornament is hollow and the edges 4 thereof are in a single plane, which is approximately the meeting plane of the two halves of the mold. The two lower points 5 and 6 of the star meet at the apex I of an angle, from which point ,a tapered tube 8 extends down wardly. The tube has cut-out portions 9 and Ill on one side of plane 4 and H and I! on the oppositeside-thereofg Openings 9 and. IE! are staggerediwith respect to openings H and I2. As a result of such cut-out portions or openings, there results a pair of side bars 13 and I4 in line with edges or plane 4 and constituting means for securely anchoring portions [5 and [6 on one side and portions l1 and 18 on the other side thereof.

Extending from point I!) just above the top of tube 8 is a lateral holder 29 having a circular opening 2| therein and a slot 22 communicating therewith. Opening 21 and slot 22 constitute a key hole slot. Opening 2| is to one side of tube 8, as more particularly shown in Fig. 3. This allows a wire to extend up to opening 2| without interfering with the mounting of the ornament on the tip of the tree.

Any suitable plastic material may be used for producing the ornament, as for example, cellulose acetate compositions, vinyl resins and many others. The material, usually in the form of a powder, is placed in a suitable chamber in a press containing the mold and subjected to heat and pressure, causing the material to flow and fill the mold cavity, thus forming. the ornament and all or the associated elements'in a single operation. The mold is then opened, exposing the molded ornament, which may be ejected as usual. No cores are necessary and therefore, the cost of the mold is relatively low.

Because of the character of tube 8 with the various openings of relatively large'size' therein, the ornament may be easily placed over the tip of a tree, allowing said tip toenter intothe tube" to the very end thereof. The leaves of the tree extend out through the. openings in the tubeand form a firm anchorageof the ornament onto the tree. 1 In prior structures, considerable difficulty 'was encounteredin holding the ornament without danger of accidental displacement. Because of the key hole slot in the holder, a lamp which may be in series with a complete string of lamps may be readily inserted by passing the connecting wires through slot 22 with the lamp in'its socket above holder '20 and it is then'lowered into opening 2| where it is firmly held without any danger of falling out or accidental removal. Because-of the fact that a single operation is 'suflicient to'form the entire structure, the orna ment' is extremely cheap to manufacture, while possessing a very attractive appearance. The transparency and the ornamentation contribute to a brilliant effect when a lamp is placed behind lar, or any other desired shape. While a tube tapered as shown is preferred, this is not essential in all cases and the tube may be of uniform diameter throughout, if desired. Ornament I need not'be a star but may be of any other character and it may be free from decorative effects "or may be embellished as desired.

These and'other changes in the details ofthe structure may be made within the spirit of the invention as described, and the invention is there- 'fore to be broadly construed'and not to be limited except by the 'character of the claims appended hereto.

We claim:

1.; An ornament comprising. an ornamental "body at least'pa'rtlytranslucent, a support'fo-rmed integrally"therewith, said support being tubular and depending. from therlower'edge 'of'said body,

said support consisting essentially of a series of substantially semi-cylindrical sections which are staggered and oppositely disposed with substantially semi-cylindrical openings opposite each said section, said sections being joined together along a longitudinal line, a bracket at the upper end of said tube and integral with said body and tube,

:the planeaiof Ssaid' bracket being substantially at right angles to the axis of said support and having a key-hole slot therein to receive a lamp base for holding a lamp behind said body to I illuminate"r it.

2.;An ornament comprising an ornamental integrally therewith, said support being tubular '1- and"depending"from. the lower edge of said body,

said support consisting essentially of a series of substantially semi-cylindrical sections which are staggered andv oppositely disposed with substantiallysemi-cylindrical openings opposite-each said "section, said sections being joined together along a'longitudinal line, a bracket at the upper end of said tube and integral with said bodyand tube, the plane-ofsaid bracket being substantially at rightanglesto theaxisofsai'd support and hav- "ing a key-hole slot therein to receive a lamp base said support consisting essentially of a series of substantiallysemi -cylindrical sections which are staggered and oppositely disposed: with substantially semi cylindricaliopenings opposite each said section; said sections-being joined together along a'lon'gitudinal line, a brac'ket at the upper end of 'said'tube' and integralwith's'a-id body and tube; the plane "ofsaid bracket being substanon said concave-face.

ELY S; MHRG'OLIS. i HIEBER'I A, WACHTEL.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowingreferences are of record in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS:

Number Name Date 1 ,726,585 *Prcpp,. ..Sept; 3, I929 1,812,378 :Scand'ura June 30, I931 $145,737 Sadacca 'Jan. 31,.1939

" 2,191,041 Prot'z. Feb; 20,-194O 2,313,378 Wolf u Mar, 9, 1943 

